Aluminum railway hopper car



May 5, 1970 R. F. SUTTER ALUMINUM RAILWAY HOPPER CAR 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed D60. 14, 1967 INVENTOR. ROBERT F. SUTTER BY 5 22. M

ATTORNEY May 5, 1970 R. F. SUTTER 3,509,827

ALUMINUM RAILWAY HOPPER CAR Filed Dec. 14, 1967 7 sheets-sheet a FIG. 2.

May 5, 1970 R. F. SUTTER 3,509,827

ALUMINUM RAILWAY HOPPER CAR Filed Dec. 14, 1967 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 May 5, 1970 R. F. SUTTER ALUMINUM RAILWAY HOPPER CAR I 7 Sheets-Sheet 4.

Filed Dec. 14, 1967 rIII III II IF IF. I I I I .I I I I I I I I I I Iwm May 5, 1970 RF. SUTTER 3,509,327

ALUMINUM RAILWAY HOPPER CAR Filed Dec. 14, 1967 '7 Sheets-Sheet s y 7 R. F. SUTTER 3,509,827

ALUMINUM RAILWAY HOPPER CAR Filed Dec. 14, 1967 '7 Sheets -Sheet 6 FIG. 7.

May 1970 R. F. SUTTER 3,509,827

ALUMINUM RAILWAY HOPPER CAR Filed Dec. 14, 1967 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 United States Patent M 3,509,827 ALUMINUM RAILWAY HOPPER CAR Robert F. Sutter, St. Louis County, Mo., assignor to ACE Industries, Incorporated, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Dec. 14, 1967, Ser. No. 690,537 Int. Cl. B6111 7/00; B61f 1/00, 1/10 U.S. Cl. 105-248 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The side sill structure of a railway freight car, particularly railway hopper cars having stub center sills, must be of a sufficient design to transmit relatively large loads. Aluminum extrusions are usually employed for side sills in aluminum railway freight cars and such extrusions are normally limited in dimensions due to limitations in the apparatus for forming the extrusions. Thus, aluminum side sill designs must be such that existing apparatus may form the extrusions forming the side sills.

The present invention includes an aluminum side sill structure which may be easily formed from extrusions on existing apparatus. The side sill is fabricated from two aluminum extrusions secured to opposite faces of an intermediate generally horizontal fiat plate. The extrusions and plate are proportioned in such a manner that the neutral axis of the side sill is substantially coincident with the axial end loading of the side sills which results from impact loads exerted against the railway car. Thus, bending stresses are minimized in the side sill structures and minimum cross-sectional areas may be employed.

As certain portions of the so-called aluminum railway freight car are formed of steel, such as the bolster structures and end structures, connections must be made between the aluminum and steel members. These connections are formed by rivets, or nut and bolt combinations, as the welding of steel and aluminum is not effective.

The invention accordingly comprises the constructions hereinafter described, the scope of the invention being indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which one of various possible embodiments of the invention is illustrated.

FIG. 1 is a partial side elevation of a covered hopper railway car forming the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an end elevation of the covered hopper railway car shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the end of the railway car shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 with a side sheet and adjacent side sill removed;

FIG. 4 is a section taken generally along line 4-4 of FIG. 2 indicating an upper bolster cover plate and associated parts;

FIG. 5 is a section taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 3 and illustrating the bolster connection to the side sill structure;

FIG. 6 is a partial section taken generally along line I 3,509,827 Patented May 5, 1970 6-6 of FIG. 2 and illustrating the connection of the bolster upper web;

FIG. 7 is a section taken generally along line 7-7 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged section taken generally along line 8-8 of FIG. 1 and illustrating the side sill structure at the hopper; and

FIG. 9 is an enlarged section taken generally along line 9-9 of FIG. 1 and illustrating the side sill structure at the bolster upper cover plate.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawmgs.

As used in the specification and claims herein, the term aluminum is interpreted as including aluminum alloys.

Referring to the drawings for a better understanding of this invention, a railway covered hopper car is generally indicated 10 and has a plurality of hoppers 12 separated by partitions 14. Hoppers 12 have end slope sheets 16 and connected side slope sheets 17 which funnel downwardly to bottom discharge openings 18. The discharge of lading from openings 18 may be controlled by suitable gravity gates 20 movable between open and closed positions relative to openings 18.

As shown particularly in FIGS. 2 and 7, an arcuate roof 22 is secured to arcuate side sheets 24. Side plate structures 26 at the junctions of side sheets 24 and roof 22 are secured to side sheets 24 and roof 22. Each side plate structure 26 forms a hollow or tubular structure with adjacent side sheet 24 for reinforcing the associated juncture. Hatch covers 28 along roof 22 permit access to hop pers 12 for loading covered hopper car 10.

Certain portions or parts of covered hopper cars may be formed of aluminum in the event it is desired to have a lightweight railway car for carrying increased lading or a larger payload. In addition, it is not necessary usually to coat or line an aluminum interior as is necessary for a carbon steel interior in the transport of commodities, such as foodstufis and many chemicals, such as plastic pellets and the like. Even though a covered hopper car has interior portions formed of aluminum, such portions must be secured or connected to steel portions of the car. It is well-known that effective welding of steel and aluminum parts to each other is difficult especially when high stresses are developed along such welds. Therefore, in the present design, weld connections between aluminum and steel portions were avoided.

Roof 22, side sheets 24, side plates 26, partitions 14, and hopper slope sheets 16, 17 are all formed of aluminum. A side sill for a covered hopper car normally is not exposed or in contact with lading carried by the car and may be for-med of steel. However, aluminum side sheets 24 are secured along lower marginal portions 32 to side sills generally indicated 30 and relatively high stresses are developed upon impact between the connections of the side sheets to the side sills. Thus, side sills 30 are formed of aluminum and marginal portions 32 may be easily welded to adjacent side sills 30. Referring particularly to FIGS. 8 and 9 of the drawings, each side sill 30 includes a horizontal flat plate or intermediate section 34, an upper generally channel-shaped section 36 forming with plate 34 an upper hollow box-shaped section, and a lower generally channel-shaped portion 38 forming with plate 34 a lower box-shaped section. Section 38 includes a horizontal web 40 and vertical legs 42 welded to plate 34. Section 36 includes an upwardly sloping web 44, a vertical leg 46 welded to plate 34, and a leg 48 sloping inwardly of railway car 10 welded to the upper face of plate 34. To receive adjacent marginal portion 32 of side sheet 24 in seated relation, an indentation 50 is formed along the upper portion of leg 48 and marginal portion 32 may be suitably welded therein. Formed along the lower portion of leg 48 is an indentation 52 receiving in seated relation an adjacent side slope sheet 17 which is welded to leg 48. Plate 34 has a downturned inner marginal portion 54 welded to the adjacent side slope sheet 17 for supporting the side slope sheet thereat. Upper and lower sections 36, 38 may be formed of aluminum extrusions. Sections 36, 38 and plate 34 are proportioned so that the neutral axis indicated at N in FIG. 8 is substantially coincident with the point of application of the end loads against side sills 30 from impact loads and the like exerted against the couplers. Thus, bending stresses in side sills 30 are minimized and side sills 30 are formed of a minimum crosssectional area.

The end construction for covered hopper railway car 10 is illustrated generally to FIGS. 3-6 and includes an end floor sheet 56 having outer channel-shaped reinforcements 58 secured thereto extending horizontally between side sheets 24. An upper vertical bolster web 60 forms a partial end bulkhead secured to floor sheet 56 at a T- connection 62. Web. 60 has an integral connecting plate 64 adjacent each lateral edge thereof in contact with the adjacent aluminum side sheet 24. Connecting plates 64 are riveted at 66 to side sheets 24. I-beams 68 are secured to the inner and outer faces of web 60 to provide vertical reinforcements for web 60.

A generally hat-shaped stub center sill structure is generally indicated 70 and receives a coupler partially shown at 72. A bolster structure generally indicated 74 is integrally connected to stub center sill 7 and includes a center plate 76 adapted to receive a center pin 78. Center plate 76 is secured to a lower bolster cover plate 80. A pair of vertical webs 81 extend transversely of car between lower cover plate 80 and an upper bolster cover plate 84. Vertical webs 82 extend longitudinally of car 10 between webs 81 and reinforce bolster structure 74. Upper bolster cover plate 84 forms the upper horizontal web of center sill 70 and extends from bolster structure 74 to an end sill 86 as shown particularly in FIG. 4. Diagonal strut members 88 are secured between upper end bulkhead 90 and the bolster upper cover plate 84 for transmitting loads therebetween. Frame members 91 form with end sill 86 a box-shaped framework about the end of covered hopper car 10.

Bolster structure 74 including upper cover plate '84 and lower cover plate 80 are formed of steel and are connected to adjacent aluminum side sills 30. Flat plate 34 of side sill 30 has an inner marginal portion 92 which extends beneath upper cover plate 84. The lapping portions of cover plate 84 and marginal portion 92 are riveted at 9'4. Bolster lower cover plate 80 has vertical extensions 96 thereon positioned in face-to-face contact with adjacent legs 42 of the lower side sill section 38. Bolt and nut combinations 98 secure legs 42 and extensions 96 together as shown specifically in FIG. 5. Thus, no welded connections are provided between the aluminum side sills 30 and steel bolster structure 74.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results obtained.

As various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. A railway. freight car comprising, a bolster structure adjacent each end of the car and having a non-aluminum lower cover plate, an aluminum side sill extending longitudinally along each side of the car for substantially the entire length thereof and secured to the bolster structures; each aluminum side sill including a generally horizontal intermediate section, a hollow upper section secured to the upper surface of the intermediate section and projecting upwardly therefrom, and a generally channel-shaped hollow lower section secured to the lower surface of the intermediate section and projecting downwardly therefrom; and separate fasteners securing the bolster lower cover plates to the lower sections of the abjacent side sills.

2. A railway covered hopper car having a stub center sill adjacent each end of the car, an aluminum side sill structure extending longitudinally along each side of the car for substantially the entire length thereof, a nonaluminum bolster structure adjacent each end of the car and having a generally horizontal top cover plate extending between the side sills, each aluminum side sill structure having a generally horizontal intermediate section with an inner marginal portion thereof lapping an outer marginal portion of the adjacent bolster top cover plate, and fasteners securing the intermediate section to the bolster top cover plate at the lapping marginal portions thereof.

3. A railway covered hopper car as set forth in claim 2 wherein an end sill extends transversely of the car adjacent each end thereof and the adjacent bolster top cover plate extends to the end sill, the inner marginal portion of said intermediate section lapping substantially the entire outer marginal portion of the adjacent top cover plate and said fasteners securing the marginal portions together.

4. A railway covered hopper car comprising, a plurality of hoppers spaced longitudinally of the car, each hopper having a pair of aluminum opposed side slope sheets, an aluminum side sill extending longitudinally along each side of the car for substantially the entire length thereof, and an aluminum side sheet on each side of the car extending downwardly to the subjacent side sill, said aluminum side sill comprising a generally horizontal plate and an upper hollow section secured to the upper surface of the plate and forming with the plate a box-shaped section, said hollow section including an inner side portion having upper and lower indentations along its inner face to form seats therein, the lower marginal portion of said side sheet seated within the upper indentation and secured to the side portion, the upper marginal portions of the adjacent hopper side slope sheets seated within the lower indentation and secured to the side portion.

5. A railway covered hopper car as set forth in claim 4 wherein said generally horizontal plate includes a downturned inner marginal portion contacting and forming a support for the adjacent hopper side slope sheets.

6. A railway covered hopper car as set forth in claim 4 wherein a lower generally channel-shaped section is secured to the lower surface of said plate and forms with the plate a lower hollow box-shaped section.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 149,965 4/1874 Wheeler 52-731 2,297,123 9/1942 Almdale 52-731 X 2,574,241 11/1951 Bobst 52-731 X 2,989,930 6/1961 Flowers l05248 3,093,090 6/1963 Rosenbaum 52-731 X 3,220,355 11/1965 Jones -364 X 3,253,556 5/1966 Glaser et al 105-247 X 3,339,499 9/ 1967 Charles et al. 105-248 ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner H. BELTRAN, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

